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Playoff will mean bigger payoff

The biggest impact will be financial, which is why this should have been implemented a long time ago to help everyone.

Earlier this week, USA Today reported the Power Five conferences — ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 — will reap double the money the leagues received under the old Bowl Championship Series format. It will bring approximately

$50 million per league.

The lesser-haves, the other Division I conferences forming the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) will split $75 million. The amount is five times greater than these leagues shared in 2013.

It's the most dramatic change of several new elements as college football season looms in six weeks.

"I do think when you look at the history of the BCS, they usually got it right with their process," said Alabama coach Nick Saban during his turn at the podium Thursday at SEC Media Days in Birmingham. "The criticism always came when there were more than two teams that were deserving.

"Now, the same thing is going to happen with a four-team playoff because there's always going to be a fifth team that could have been deserving that will create controversy.

"But I do think from a fan standpoint, this is going to be something that a lot of people have looked forward to. It will be good for college football and it's good for the game."

Eventually, I see an eight-team playoff in college football with automatic qualifiers going to conference champions. The format will probably end there. To expand into 16 teams, like NCAA Division I-AA uses, would be too problematic.

Even with eight, however, conferences may look to reduce a week of the regular season. That would take away one of the automatic win games against a team from a lesser level. Not such a bad thing.

The lost revenue would be recovered — and then some — by the enormous increase in playoff revenue for each conference.

"I would hope that if it expands beyond this, we gotta look at the regular season," Georgia coach Mark Richt said during SEC Media Days. "I think you have to reduce the regular [season]. A lot of people may not agree with that."

What can be agreed is a better system is in place. It will mean a longer season and more challenges, but the teams involved will adjust.

"There's only going to be a few teams that do that, and I'm sure every coach would certainly like to be one of those teams that had an opportunity to do that," Saban said.

The regular season will still mean as much as it always did. But the ending will be far more compelling.